Fresh Produce Discussion Blog

Created by The Packer's National Editor Tom Karst

Wednesday, September 1, 2010

RV: WESTERN GROWERS’ STATEMENT ON CA SENATE DEBATE

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-----Original Message-----
From: Paul Simonds <psimonds@WGA.com>
Date: Wed, 1 Sep 2010 22:45:19
To: Paul Simonds<psimonds@WGA.com>
Subject: WESTERN GROWERS' STATEMENT ON CA SENATE DEBATE


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Paul Simonds, Mgr. Communications
(949) 885-2257/ PSimonds@wga.com<mailto:PSimonds@wga.com>
Or
Wendy Fink-Weber, Dir. Communications
(949) 885-2256 / WFWeber@wga.com<mailto:WFWeber@wga.com>


WESTERN GROWERS' STATEMENT ON CA SENATE DEBATE


IRVINE, CA (September 1, 2010) - Statement by Western Growers President and CEO Tom Nassif following September 1, debate between Senator Barbara Boxer and Carly Fiorina:

"It is clear that Carly Fiorina takes a far more pragmatic approach to the challenges facing our industry, and she reaffirmed tonight her willingness to stand with our state's farmers as a member of the U.S. Senate. She is clearly the more articulate, knowledgeable and believable of the candidates. With Carly representing our state in Washington, California's farmers and agricultural community can rest assured we will always have an advocate fighting for us in the U.S. Senate."

Western Growers is an agricultural trade association whose members from Arizona and California grow, pack and ship ninety percent of the fresh fruits, nuts and vegetables grown in California and seventy five percent of those commodities in Arizona. This totals about half of the nation's fresh produce.

###

RV: Food safety series for N.C. farmers announced

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From: Justin Moore <justin_moore@ncsu.edu>
Date: Wed, 1 Sep 2010 10:19:17 -0500
To: justin_moore@ncsu.edu<justin_moore@ncsu.edu>
Subject: Food safety series for N.C. farmers announced

Good morning,

The N.C. Fresh Produce Safety Task Force has announced dates for a series of training workshops to educate N.C. fruit and vegetable growers about measures to minimize food safety risks. Complete calendar of workshops.

Annually, food-borne pathogens cause an estimated 76 million illnesses and 5,000 deaths in the United States. Economic costs are estimated at $1.4 trillion, an especially big hit to N.C. where agriculture is the still the top industry. These fresh produce safety workshops  will be offered across the state and aim to reduce the instances of food/produce-related illnesses.

Please see the news release copied below for more details.

Best,
Justin Moore
N.C. MarketReady
N.C. State at the N.C. Research Campus

Media Contacts: Diane Ducharme, GAPs program coordinator and Extension associate in horticulture and food safety, N.C. MarketReady, 704-250-5402, diane_ducharme@ncsu.edu.
For assistance in arranging interviews, contact Leah Chester-Davis, coordinator of communications and community outreach, N.C. MarketReady, 704-250-5406 or leah_chester-davis@ncsu.edu.
 

N.C. Cooperative Extension Hosts Fresh Produce Safety Trainings for Farmers

 

September 1, 2010 (KANNAPOLIS, NC) – N.C MarketReady Fresh Produce Safety – Field to Family is an N.C. Cooperative Extension program that educates fruit and vegetable growers about measures to minimize food safety risks. The program's training curriculum addresses specific areas of Good Agricultural Practices (GAPs) and managing risks for producers from field to market. It consists of nine modules broken into Tier 1 and Tier 2. The comprehensive curriculum was developed by researchers and Cooperative Extension specialists at N.C. State University and N.C. A&T State University.

The N.C. Fresh Produce Safety Task Force will conduct the Tier 2 training workshops on the following dates and locations across North Carolina:

September 16, 2010 – 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., Cooperative Extension in Johnston County, 2736 NC 210 Hwy., Smithfield. For more information, contact Amie Newsome, 919-989-5380 or amie_newsome@ncsu.edu.

September 22, 2010 – 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., Cooperative Extension in Onslow County, 4024 Richlands Highway, Jacksonville. For more information, contact Mark Seitz, 252-448-9621 ext. 225 or mark_seitz@ncsu.edu. 

October 12, 2010 – 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., Mountain Research Station, 265 Test Farm Road, Waynesville. For more information, contact Sue Colucci, 828-697-4891 or susan_colucci@ncsu.edu.

October 26, 2010 – 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., Stanly County AgriCivic Center, 26032-B Newt Road, Albemarle. For more information, contact Aimee Marshall, 704-694-2415 or aimee_marshall@ncsu.edu. 

November 9, 2010 – 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., Vernon James Research and Extension Center, 207 Research Station Road, Plymouth. For more information, contact Rod Gurganus, 252-793-4428 ext. 129 or rod_gurganus@ncsu.edu.

February 23, 2011 – 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., Cooperative Extension in Harnett County, 126 Alexander Drive, Lillington. For more information, contact Gary Pierce, 910-893-7533 or gary_pierce@ncsu.edu.

Tier 2 will address risk identification and management issues including transportation and traceability, product recalls, liability and insurance options, and developing a crisis strategy. This workshop will benefit not only growers and packinghouse managers, but also wholesalers and transportation managers who all play an integral role in maintaining the safety of fresh produce as it moves from the field to the consumer. Currently, GAPs certification is voluntary for North Carolina farmers, though outbreaks of food-borne illness in other parts of the country have resulted in increased pressure for all farmers to become certified.

The N.C. MarketReady Fresh Produce Safety – Field to Family initiative is funded with grants from the N.C. Tobacco Trust Fund Commission, Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE), N.C. Rural Economic Development Center and USDA Risk Management Agency. For more information, contact Diane Ducharme at 704-250-5402 or diane_ducharme@ncsu.edu. Learn more at www.ncmarketready.org.

N.C. MarketReady is a program of N.C. Cooperative Extension, which is an educational outreach of N.C. State University and N.C. A&T State University. N.C. MarketReady's multidisciplinary team builds partnerships and educational resources to help North Carolina agriculture be more profitable. N.C. MarketReady is a partner of the Plants for Human Health Institute at the N.C. Research Campus in Kannapolis. Learn more at www.ncmarketready.org or www.ces.ncsu.edu.

# # #

RV: [BITES-L] bites Sep. 1/10

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From: Doug Powell <dpowell@KSU.EDU>
Sender: Bites <BITES-L@LISTSERV.KSU.EDU>
Date: Wed, 1 Sep 2010 13:05:06 -0500
To: BITES-L@LISTSERV.KSU.EDU<BITES-L@LISTSERV.KSU.EDU>
ReplyTo: Doug Powell <dpowell@KSU.EDU>
Subject: [BITES-L] bites Sep. 1/10


bites Sep. 1/10

New Food Safety Infosheet: Be ready for storms

1 dead, 8 sick from salmonella after UK wedding

US: Pointing fingers in recall of eggs

US: Safer eggs

CALIFORNIA: Battling salmonella squeezes egg farmers

FDA seeks court order against MICHIGAN dairy

A foodborne outbreak of Cyclospora infection in Stockholm, Sweden

Large Listeriosis outbreak linked to cheese made from pasteurized milk, Germany, 2006–2007

Bacteriophage-based rapid and sensitive detection of Escherichia coli O157:H7 isolates from ground beef

New approach to study the mechanism of antimicrobial protection of an active packaging

Tracking Salmonella contamination in various watersheds and phenotypic and genotypic diversity

A randomized controlled trial to assess the impact of dietary energy sources, feed supplements, and the presence of super-shedders on the detection of Escherichia coli O157:H7 in feedlot cattle using different diagnostic procedures

Listeria monocytogenes efficiently invades Caco-2 cells after low-temperature storage in broth and on deli meat

how to subscribe

New Food Safety Infosheet: Be ready for storms
01.sep.10
bites
Benjamin Chapman
http://bites.ksu.edu/sites/default/files/foodsafetyinfosheet-9-1-10.pdf
The newest food safety infosheet, a graphical one-page food safety-related story directed at food businesses, is now available at www.foodsafetyinfosheets.com
Food Safety Infosheet Highlights:
- Hurricanes and storms can cause power outages and lead to food safety concerns.
- Protect your food by being prepared.
- Place a thermometer in your fridge and freezer.
- Plan ahead by preparing coolers and knowing where dry ice and block ice suppliers are.
Food safety infosheets are created weekly and are posted in restaurants, retail stores, on farms and used in training throughout the world. If you have any infosheet topic requests, or photos, please contact Ben Chapman at benjamin_chapman@ncsu.edu.
You can follow food safety infosheets stories and barfblog on twitter @benjaminchapman and @barfblog




1 dead, 8 sick from salmonella after UK wedding
01.sep.10
barfblog
Doug Powell
http://www.barfblog.com/blog/143906/10/09/01/1-dead-8-sick-salmonella-after-uk-wedding
Nothing says, "I do" like wedding guests barfing and in this case, tragically, one dying after consuming the post-nuptial meal.
Rene Kwartz, 82, was one of four guests who needed hospital treatment after a meal at a hotel in Prestwich, Greater Manchester.
Three of those taken to hospital recovered and were discharged but Mrs Kwartz died last week.
Lawyers representing the guests at the wedding of Stephen Wicks and Jennifer Harris on August 8 are taking legal action against the outside caterers to the function.
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ukpress/article/ALeqM5gp4JbtYbcC48wmKwepJIb-qfwgOw




US: Pointing fingers in recall of eggs
01.sep.10
Wall Street Journal
Alicia Mundy and Bill Tomson
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704421104575464032381844548.html?mod=rss_US_News
Companies have begun pointing fingers at one another and offering conflicting theories about the possible source of salmonella contamination that has sickened 1,470 people and led to the recall of 550 million eggs.
Wright County Egg of Galt, Iowa, whose chicken-feed samples tested positive for salmonella, has suggested the contamination might have come from a feed ingredient, bone meal, supplied by another company.
That company, Central Bi-Products of Redwood Falls, Minn., strongly disagreed Tuesday and said its heat-processed bone meal was untainted when it was shipped.
The Food and Drug Administration said it still didn't know where the contamination found by its inspectors originated. It issued a report Monday citing many sanitation problems at Wright's facilities, such as flies, frogs, pigeons, piles of chicken manure, and bird droppings.
The tainted eggs haven't been tied to any deaths, according to the U.S. government. The strain of bacteria linked to the illnesses was found in feed made by Wright's parent company, Quality Egg LLC, which also supplies the other major egg producer in the recall, Hillandale Farms of Iowa.
Wright raised the issue of its supplier Thursday when the FDA said the feed and bone meal showed traces of salmonella. Wright spokeswoman Hinda Mitchell said the company kept bone meal in an overhead bin and the ingredient was tested separately by FDA officials.
"This finding obviously is of great concern to us," Wright said in a statement, adding that the company provided the FDA with information about its supplier and immediately notified that company of the testing results.
Central Bi-Products's president, Don Davis, said in an interview that he was "shocked and surprised" that anyone was suggesting his bone-meal ingredients were tainted, in light of recent FDA reports on Wright County Egg farms.




US: Safer eggs
01.sep.10
Los Angeles Times
http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/editorials/la-ed-salmonella-20100901,0,896926.story
How did bacteria spread through two Iowa egg farms, leading to the largest Salmonella enteritidis outbreak ever recorded in the U.S.? Take your pick. Stomach-turning inspection reports released Monday by the Food and Drug Administration found wild birds, which can carry the disease, flying and nesting near caged chickens and a feed mill. They found workers who didn't wear protective clothing, and chicken manure piled so high that it bulged through barn doors, providing access to rodents.
A better question would be, who's guarding the henhouse? Not government regulators. FDA officials claim new egg safety rules that went into effect in July could have prevented the outbreak had they been in place earlier, but that's true only if big egg producers actually obeyed them. Austin "Jack" DeCoster, the owner of Wright County Egg in Iowa, has allegedly been flouting federal environmental and workplace rules for decades with little consequence; his company has recalled 380 million eggs following the salmonella outbreak.
A bill to give regulators more authority probably would have died quietly in the Senate if not for the crisis, which has focused public attention on food security lapses. The Food Safety Modernization Act, already approved by the House, would give regulators the power to order mandatory recalls of tainted foods and suspend the registration of food facilities. Crossing the 60-vote threshold needed to overcome a Senate filibuster on this bill still won't be easy considering the extraordinary power of Big Agriculture, but the failure of the current system shows how badly reform is needed.
Meanwhile, a simple and inexpensive way of preventing salmonella exposure is being neglected: vaccines for chickens. U.S. regulators examined such vaccines before the current outbreak but decided not to mandate them, apparently based on outdated studies, according to a recent report in the New York Times. Yet vaccination in Britain has all but wiped out salmonella in eggs there, and California vaccination guidelines have done the same in the Golden State. The FDA should reconsider the evidence.




CALIFORNIA: Battling salmonella squeezes egg farmers
01.sep.10
Los Angeles Times
P. J. Huffstutter
http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-egg-farm-20100901,0,214760.story?track=rss&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+latimes%2Fbusiness+%28L.A.+Times+-+Business%29
A strict quality assurance program has virtually wiped out salmonella in California henhouses, but it makes locally produced eggs more expensive.
Reporting from Valley Center, Calif. -- Amid a rolling landscape of browning chaparral and battered trailers, Alan and Ryan Armstrong's metal henhouses line up like military barracks. Keeping their 450,000 birds safe — and Salmonella enteritidis out of their henhouses — is a daily battle.
Since they were old enough to drive the family skip loader and shovel chicken droppings, the Armstrong brothers followed a state-sanctioned quality-assurance program designed to curtail salmonella in eggs. So have dozens more California egg farmers, who helped develop the guidelines alongside federal and state officials following a salmonella outbreak 15 years ago that sickened thousands of people.
The program, which includes vaccinating hens and testing barns regularly for bacteria, has essentially wiped out salmonella on California farms, industry officials say. Yet only nine other states have enacted similar government-sponsored efforts.
One reason, the Armstrongs and other California farmers contend, is cost. Injecting chickens and swabbing cages takes money — not a fortune, but enough to send egg distributors searching for lower-cost sources.
"We have lost contracts over pennies a dozen," Ryan Armstrong said. "They want cheap eggs."
As the nation grapples with a salmonella outbreak that has made more than 1,500 people ill and led to the recall of 550 million Iowa eggs, the Food and Drug Administration has enacted rules that it said would prevent future outbreaks. The regulations force large operators to buy chicks and young birds, known as pullets, from firms that check for salmonella; create protocols to keep out pests; and perform salmonella tests in henhouses.
Yet farmers, food-safety experts and lawmakers alike warn that the FDA's new regulations may not do enough to prevent another massive recall.
The problem is not a lack of oversight. Fifteen federal agencies and more than two dozen congressional committees are in the business of tracking America's food supply as it moves from farm to fork. There are scores of lobbyists, environmentalists and animal rights groups. But there was no single entity that made sure the Iowa eggs the public ate were, in fact, safe.
What went wrong at Wright County Egg and Hillandale Farms underscores how regulatory confusion has made it difficult to protect the public and how, say farmers, there are economic incentives to cut corners.




FDA seeks court order against MICHIGAN dairy
31.aug.10
FDA
http://www.fda.gov/NewsEvents/Newsroom/PressAnnouncements/ucm224574.htm
The U.S. Department of Justice, on behalf of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, has filed a complaint for permanent injunction against Scenic View Dairy of Hamilton, Mich., its president, and three of its managers alleging that they sold dairy cows for human consumption that contained illegal drug residues in edible tissues.
The complaint, filed Aug. 31, 2010, in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Michigan, also alleges that the defendants, despite numerous warnings, sold for slaughter dairy cows that were treated with drugs contrary to the drugs' FDA-approved labeling and without a valid veterinary prescription authorizing such use.
The complaint alleges that violations occurred from 2002 through 2010 at Scenic View Dairy's three farms, located in Fennville, Freeport, and Gowen, Mich. Company president Michael D. Geerlings, Fennville farm manager Mark A. Lucas, Freeport farm manager Michael J. Van Dam, and Gowen farm manager Jeremy A. Portell were all named in the complaint.
Between 2001 and 2010, the FDA notified the defendants of its inspectional findings on at least eight occasions, and USDA sent Scenic View at least 11 letters regarding illegal tissue residues. The complaint alleges that the defendants continue to violate the law despite these warnings.
The complaint is based, in part, upon illegal neomycin, penicillin, and sulfadimethoxine drug residues that the USDA found in the edible tissue of dairy cows that defendants had offered for sale for human consumption.
Neomycin, penicillin, and sulfadimethoxine are antibiotics. The sale of animals for human food that contain illegal levels of drugs can lead to the development of bacteria that resist antibiotics and can cause reactions in people with drug allergies. FDA regulations for animal drugs include a specified time to withdraw an animal from treatment prior to slaughter so that a drug is depleted from edible tissue to levels safe for humans.
Scenic View Dairy buys cows primarily from New Hampshire, Pennsylvania and Vermont and sells to slaughterhouses in other states, including Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.




A foodborne outbreak of Cyclospora infection in Stockholm, Sweden
31.aug.10
Foodborne Pathogens and Disease
Mona Insulander, Bo Svenungsson, Marianne Lebbad, Lillemor Karlsson, Birgitta de Jong
http://www.liebertonline.com/doi/abs/10.1089/fpd.2010.0628
Abstract
During May and June 2009 an outbreak of Cyclospora cayetanensis infection involving 12 laboratory-confirmed and 6 probable cases was detected in Stockholm County, Sweden. Imported sugar snap peas from Guatemala were the suspected vehicle, based on information obtained from patient questionnaires. This is the first reported outbreak of cyclosporiasis in Sweden and the second in Europe.




Large Listeriosis outbreak linked to cheese made from pasteurized milk, Germany, 2006–2007
31.aug.10
Foodborne Pathogens and Disease
Judith Koch, Regine Dworak, Rita Prager, Biserka Becker, Stefan Brockmann, Amal Wicke, Heidi Wichmann-Schauer, Herbert Hof, Dirk Werber, Klaus Stark
http://www.liebertonline.com/doi/abs/10.1089/fpd.2010.0631
Abstract
A commercial cheese (acid curd) made from pasteurized milk caused a large listeriosis outbreak in Germany from October 2006 through February 2007. The Listeria monocytogenes outbreak strain was identified in humans and in cheese samples from a patient's home and from the production plant. During the outbreak period, 189 patients were affected, which was 97% above the mean case number for the respective time period of the years 2002 to 2005. Of patients with available detailed information on cheese consumption (n=47), 70% reported to have consumed the incriminated cheese product. Recent European food safety alerts due to Listeria-contaminated cheeses more often concerned products made from pasteurized or heat-treated milk than from raw milk. The findings should be considered in prevention guidelines addressing vulnerable populations.




Bacteriophage-based rapid and sensitive detection of Escherichia coli O157:H7 isolates from ground beef
31.aug.10
Foodborne Pathogens and Disease
Porteen Kannan, Ho Yao Yong, Lucy Reiman, Claire Cleaver, Pradip Patel, Arvind A. Bhagwat
http://www.liebertonline.com/doi/abs/10.1089/fpd.2010.0634
Abstract
We investigated the efficacy of bacteriophage-based detection technology to detect Escherichia coli O157:H7 from ground beef. The assay involved a short enrichment period of 8h followed by capture of the pathogen on O157-specific immunomagnetic beads. The captured cells were treated with O157-specific lytic bacteriophage, CSLO157. Upon phage-induced lysis, the enzyme adenylate kinase, which was released from the lysed cells, was measured in terms of relative light units using luciferin–luciferase assay. The plaque forming efficiency (e.g., phage susceptibility) and ability to capture cells with immunomagnetic beads were examined using an array of 74 E. coli O157:H7 isolates obtained from various clinical and foodborne samples. Immunmagnetic beads successfully captured all 74 isolates; however, only 53 isolates showed susceptibility toward the bacteriophage. Susceptible isolates were further classified into two broad groups, moderately sensitive isolates, which generated phage titer 107pfu/mL (group I, n=15), and highly susceptible isolates, which generated high phage titer 109pfu/mL (group II, n=38). We selected 15 isolates (9 from group I and 6 from group II) and individually spiked beef samples (ca. 3–8cells/25g beef) to evaluate the bacteriophage-based detection system. Eight out of nine isolates from group I and all six isolates from group II were successfully detected. Pathogenic E. coli strains belonging to other serogroups (12 serogroups, 67 isolates) as well as nontarget microorganisms (n=18) were not lysed by the bacteriophage and hence were not detected. The method is high-throughput compatible, is rapid, and can provide live culture the following day by streaking an aliquot before phage lysis on conventional selective agar media.




New approach to study the mechanism of antimicrobial protection of an active packaging
01.sep.10
Foodborne Pathogens and Disease, 7(9): 1063-1069
Laura Gutiérrez, Ramón Batlle, Cristina Sánchez, Cristina Nerín
http://www.liebertonline.com/doi/abs/10.1089/fpd.2009.0516
Abstract
This article reports on the antimicrobial efficiency of a new active packaging concept based on the use of two essential oils (cinnamon and oregano) and their chemical descriptors (cinnamaldehyde, thymol, and carvacrol) against the Gram-positive bacterium Listeria monocytogenes, the Gram-negative bacterium Salmonella choleraesuis, the yeast Candida albicans, and the mold Aspergillus flavus. Complete inhibition of these microorganisms with either bactericidal or bacteriostatic effect has been demonstrated. It has been proven that the inhibition provided by these solutions is related not to the total amount of the active chemical released but to the amount of active compounds that reach the agar surface at a critical time. This critical time is notably related with the duration of the lag phase, as demonstrated for the bacteria, and shows that kinetic behavior has a critical role in the antimicrobial properties of the active packaging. Two different active films, polypropylene and the complex polyethylene-ethylenvynil alcohol, have been studied and a higher efficiency was found for polypropylene, mainly because of the mentioned kinetic reasons. These results can be used to understand the mechanism of action of the chemicals and provide valuable data for the development of the active packaging concept.




Tracking Salmonella contamination in various watersheds and phenotypic and genotypic diversity
01.sep.10
Foodborne Pathogens and Disease, 7(9): 1113-1120
Prapas Patchanee, Bayleyegn Molla, Nancy White, Daniel E. Line, Wondwossen A. Gebreyes
http://www.liebertonline.com/doi/abs/10.1089/fpd.2010.0572
Abstract
Salmonella enterica is an important foodborne pathogen, and contamination of surface and ground water that may result from various human activities, such as animal production and urbanization, may contribute to the public health burden. The aims of this study was to determine the sources of Salmonella contamination in four different types of watersheds and to assess the relative contribution of multidrug-resistant strains. Eighty-six water samples collected from four different watershed systems, including those impacted by swine production (n=12), residential/industrial (n=34), crop agriculture (n=12), and forestry (n=28), were cultured for Salmonella and further characterized by serotyping, antimicrobial susceptibility testing, and pulsed-field gel electrophoresis genotyping. Salmonella prevalence was high in all four watersheds: residential/industrial area (58.8%), forestry (57.1%), crop agriculture (50%), and swine production (41.7%). Majority of the Salmonella isolates (87.1%) were pansusceptible. Multidrug resistance up to eight antimicrobials (R-type: AmStTeAxChCeKmGm) was detected in water samples that originated from swine production systems only. Serovars identified included Anatum, Gaminara, and Inverness (18.3% each) and Muenchen and Newport (8.7% each), Bredeny (7.6%), and Montevideo (6.8%). Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis analysis indicated genotypic relatedness among Salmonella recovered from residential/industrial and forestry-associated watersheds (genotypic cluster types A, C, D, E, F, G, H, and J), sites with relatively close geographic proximity. Swine-production-associated isolates were distinctly different from the others (genotypic cluster types B and I), corroborating the phenotypic findings. Overall, the findings suggest that all the various watersheds, including natural forest, remain important contributors of Salmonella contamination. While swine-production-associated water samples were not found to have a disproportionately high prevalence, it was the most important reservoir of multidrug-resistant strains.




A randomized controlled trial to assess the impact of dietary energy sources, feed supplements, and the presence of super-shedders on the detection of Escherichia coli O157:H7 in feedlot cattle using different diagnostic procedures
01.sep.10
Foodborne Pathogens and Disease, 7(9): 1071-1081
Natalia Cernicchiaro, David L. Pearl, Scott A. McEwen, Henry N. Zerby, Francis L. Fluharty, Steve C. Loerch, Michael D. Kauffman, Jaime L. Bard, Jeffrey T. LeJeune
http://www.liebertonline.com/doi/abs/10.1089/fpd.2009.0531
Abstract
Alteration of the gastro-intestinal tract through manipulation of cattle diets has been proposed as a preharvest control measure to reduce fecal shedding of Escherichia coli O157:H7. The objective of this study was to examine the effects of the energy source's moisture content (high moisture corn and dry whole-shelled corn), two natural feed supplements (Saccaromyces cerevisiae boulardii CNCM 1079-Levucell and Aspergillus oryzae-Amaferm®), and two levels of vitamin A (2200IU/kg and no supplementation) on the fecal excretion of E. coli O157:H7 in naturally infected cattle. One hundred sixty-eight Angus-cross beef steers were randomly allocated to 24 pens, and each pen was assigned 1 of 12 dietary treatments in a randomized complete block design. E. coli O157:H7 was detected by rectoanal mucosal swab (RAMS) and fecal grab samples using immunomagnetic separation (IMS) and standard microbiological techniques. On the basis of multivariable multilevel logistic regression models, we found a statistically significant (p<0.05) increase in the prevalence of E. coli O157:H7 in animals fed dry whole-shelled corn in models based on fecal-IMS, and this effect was increased if a super-shedding animal (shedding>104 colony forming units of E. coli O157:H7 per gram of feces) was present in the pen at the time of testing relative to animals fed high moisture corn and nonexposed to super-shedders. However, in similar models based on RAMS-IMS testing, the effect of corn type on the prevalence of E. coli O157:H7 varied with the type of feed additive used. Being exposed to a super-shedding pen-mate also increased the odds of being positive to E. coli O157:H7 in the RAMS-IMS models. These models demonstrate that the impact of different supplements may vary with the diagnostic test used, and that further research into the biological significance of differences between RAMS- and fecal-IMS test results is warranted.




Listeria monocytogenes efficiently invades Caco-2 cells after low-temperature storage in broth and on deli meat
01.sep.10
Foodborne Pathogens and Disease, 7(9): 1013-1018
Marianne Halberg Larsen, Anette Granly Koch, Hanne Ingmer
http://www.liebertonline.com/doi/abs/10.1089/fpd.2009.0470
Abstract
The objective of this study was to investigate how various growth conditions influence the virulence of Listeria monocytogenes monitored by its ability to invade the epithelial cell lines Caco-2 and INT-407. The growth conditions examined were modified atmosphere-packaged deli meat and brain heart infusion broth (BHI) with and without salt. Five strains of L. monocytogenes were selected to investigate their invasiveness and all strains invaded Caco-2cells at higher levels than INT-407cells. Further, the clinical strains (3443 and 3734) were more invasive (p<0.05) than the strains isolated from meat and food-processing environments (3008, 3126, and 4140) after grown in BHI at 30°C. This attenuation could not be ascribed to a defective Internalin A as all strains encoded an intact inlA gene. To determine the influence of food products on virulence, the ability of L. monocytogenes to invade Caco-2cells was compared after growth on a fermented sausage and on cured cooked ham to that of bacteria grown in BHI broth supplemented with salt. Samples were stored under chilling conditions for up to 4 weeks. The results showed no difference (p>0.05) in invasiveness after 7 days at 10°C in BHI broth or on sausage, whereas a slight increase (p<0.05) was observed after incubation on ham for 2 and 4 weeks compared to that in BHI broth. Most importantly, our results show that L. monocytogenes efficiently invade Caco-2cells even after 4 weeks of storage at chilled temperature. This is highly relevant for safety assessment of this organism in food as these conditions reflect storage of ready-to-eat food products in domestic refrigerators.


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RV: USDA Announces Next Steps on Sugar Beets

Sent via BlackBerry from T-Mobile


From: USDA Office of Communications <oc.news@usda.gov>
Date: Wed, 1 Sep 2010 14:32:14 -0500
To: Tom Karst<TKarst@vancepublishing.com>
Subject: USDA Announces Next Steps on Sugar Beets

 

Release No. 0437.10 Contact:
Richard Andre Bell (301) 734-3853
Suzanne Bond (301) 734-5175

USDA Announces Next Steps on Sugar Beets

WASHINGTON, Sept. 1, 2010 – The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) today announced the agency's next steps in response to a recent court decision on Roundup Ready sugar beets.

"USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service must chart a course for compliance with its statutory authorities and environmental statutes, such as NEPA, while USDA works to create the environment where all types of producers can and do produce all types of crops," said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. "The steps we have outlined today not only respond to the concerns of producers while complying with the court's ruling, but also further USDA's continuing efforts to enable coexistence among conventional, organic, and biotechnology production systems."

APHIS announced the following steps:

  • APHIS has received applications from and is issuing permits to sugar beet seed producers to authorize "steckling" (i.e seedlings) production this fall under strict permit conditions that would not allow flowering of the stecklings. APHIS anticipates that issuance of such non-flowering permits can be completed in the next 2 weeks.
  • APHIS has also received and is evaluating a request for a partial deregulation of Roundup Ready sugar beets. In connection with this evaluation, APHIS is developing an appropriate environmental analysis to inform its decision making regarding this request to authorize future seed and root crop plantings under a combination of permits, administrative orders, or other regulatory measures. Any regulatory measures taken would include mitigating restrictions consistent with those proposed to the Court as interim measures while APHIS completes the environmental impact statement (EIS) for the petition for determination of non-regulated status for GE sugar beets. APHIS anticipates making decisions on appropriate interim regulatory measures by the end of the year. There will be an opportunity for public comment on any environmental analyses developed.
  • APHIS will continue to place a priority on the expedited completion of the EIS, a process that is anticipated to take 2 years.

The Court's ruling does return genetically engineered sugar beets to regulated status, but does not apply to genetically engineered sugar beet root and seed crops that were planted by August 13, 2010. The genetically engineered sugar beet root crop that has already been planted may be processed and sold as sugar. The genetically engineered sugar beet seed crop that has already been planted may be harvested and stored. The Court's ruling does not preclude the appropriate exercise of APHIS' administrative discretion to authorize the future planting of Roundup Ready sugar beets pursuant to USDA's regulatory authority and biotechnology regulations.

Note to Reporters: USDA news releases and program announcements are available on the Internet and through Really Simple Syndication (RSS) feeds. Go to the APHIS news release page at www.aphis.usda.gov/newsroom and click on the RSS feed link. To sign up to receive APHIS releases automatically, send an e-mail message to lyris@mdrdlyriss10.aphis.usda.gov and leave the subject blank. In the message, type subscribe press_releases.



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RV: CONSTRUCTION SPENDING SINKS TO 10-YEAR LOW IN JULY AS INVESTMENTSIN PROJECTS ARE NOW 34 PERCENT

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From: "chon@agc.org" <chon@agc.org>
Sender: "chon@agc.mmsend.com" <chon@agc.mmsend.com>
Date: Wed, 1 Sep 2010 11:33:36 -0500
To: Tom Karst<TKarst@vancepublishing.com>
Subject: CONSTRUCTION SPENDING SINKS TO 10-YEAR LOW IN JULY AS INVESTMENTS IN PROJECTS ARE NOW 34 PERCENT

AGC of America · Quality People. Quality Projects.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                                             Contact: Brian Turmail
September 1, 2010                                                                                (703) 837-5310, turmailb@agc.org

CONSTRUCTION SPENDING SINKS TO 10-YEAR LOW IN JULY AS INVESTMENTS IN PROJECTS ARE NOW 34 PERCENT BELOW FEBRUARY 2006 PEAK
Private Sector Caution, Plus Local and State Budget Cuts, Overwhelm Benefits of Stimulus, Construction Trade Association Notes in New Analysis of Spending Data Released by Federal Officials Today

Total construction spending declined to a 10-year low of $805 billion in July, as investments in construction projects dropped 1.0 percent from a downwardly revised June total, the Associated General Contractors of America said today in an analysis of new Census Bureau data. Association officials noted that the new figures show depressed private sector activity, and local and state budget cuts are offsetting stimulus-funded construction spending.

"While the stimulus is funding some vital infrastructure projects, the private sector is too cautious and state and local governments are too cash-strapped, to help," said Ken Simonson, the association's chief economist. "As a result, overall construction spending is at its lowest level in a decade and hundreds of thousands of construction workers are unemployed."

Simonson noted that the July total was one-third lower than the high-water mark set in February 2006 and was down by 11 percent in the past 12 months alone. He added that in the past year, all 12 private nonresidential construction categories and 10 of the 14 public categories declined. Private residential spending in July was 5.5 percent higher than a year before but has dropped for three straight months since the homebuyer tax credit expired in April, Simonson continued.

Stimulus funds appear to have buoyed public housing (up 18 percent from July 2009 to July 2010), sewage and waste disposal (up 11 percent), and water supply construction (up 0.7 percent), while reconstruction work around New Orleans helped conservation spending rise 12 percent, Simonson suggested. He added, however, that stimulus spending on highways and other transportation facilities was evidently not enough to offset the downturn in state and local budgets, leading these categories to contract by seven percent and one percent, respectively, from year-earlier levels.

Private nonresidential spending plunged 24 percent from July 2009 to July 2010 with double-digit declines in nearly all categories, Simonson remarked. The economist noted that private power construction reached the highest monthly level this year but manufacturing and developer-financed categories such as office, hotel and retail construction appear to be heading for still less activity.

Stephen Sandherr, chief executive officer of the construction association, said the new spending data and metropolitan area construction employment figures showing construction employment declined in 276 out of 337 metro areas this past year, made it clear that the industry is hurting. He said long-delayed federal legislation to invest in aging public infrastructure would provide a needed boost to the construction industry while making the U.S. more economically competitive. "Letting our roads age, our bridges deteriorate and our ports decline is no way to boost our export capacity," Sandherr said.

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